'Emmerdale' Dominic Power talks Christmas murder plot - interview

Emmerdale killer Cameron Murray takes centre stage this Christmas in his darkest storyline yet as he strikes again in shocking scenes.

A guilty Cameron reaches breaking point in upcoming episodes, coming clean with a fellow villager about how he was the real culprit behind Carl King's murder.

Viewers will see that Cameron soon regrets his honesty and tries to save himself by taking his confidant hostage, before ending his or her life and burying the body. Will he get away with another sinister crime?

As Cameron's storyline takes this dark twist, Chas is still on trial for Carl's murder. How does Cameron feel about the court proceedings?"Cameron is relying on the possibility that Chas will be found not guilty and not have to take the rap for him. But obviously he's panicking about the trial - he's now a shadow of his former self. Cameron is a man very close to the edge and he isn't thinking about the negative side of things, he's just hoping for the right outcome.

"People are saying that Cameron is being a bit mean by letting Chas go through this, but if it went the other way and she did go down for Carl's murder, I think he would 'fess up at that point."

What drives Cameron to confess to one of the villagers in the run-up to Christmas?"It's a build-up of things! Cameron is not sleeping, he's drinking far too much coffee, he's drinking far too much alcohol and he's wracked with guilt over the whole situation."

How does the villager in question react to Cameron's confession?"They react as most people would! Cameron definitely doesn't trust that this person is going to keep his secret, because the person he tells really panics about it. Cameron can tell that it probably won't stay a secret unless something is done about the situation…"

So what does Cameron do next?"Cameron basically hunts that person down. He follows them, he stalks them, and he watches their every move to make sure they're not going to the relevant authorities to report the situation. Cameron then panics and gets to the point where he has to physically restrain that person. That's where he makes the decision of what he has to do next.

"Cameron holds the villager captive in his van for a little while, but then he decides that he should think again and maybe let that person go. However, the person then tries to escape, which is when a chase ensues and the inevitable happens."

What were the chase scenes like to film?"Well, I'm quite flu-ed up at the moment, so I didn't really need so much uphill running in the woods! But the scenes will look great, I think. They've shot the chase sequence in a really interesting way, and then the final deed happens."

Do we see the murder on screen?"Without giving away too much, the person appears in the woods and you assume that he or she has managed to shake Cameron off. But then Cameron just appears from nowhere and the person is dragged from vision…"

How does Cameron feel after he has killed again?"He feels terrible! It's a pretty bad experience for him. Disposing of the body is unpleasant. Carl was easy, because his body was found and taken away. So disposing of a cadaver is not a good way to spend Christmas Day.

"As Cameron buries the body, he's very upset and in shock. I think the interesting thing about Cameron is that even though he's been pushed to the brink and is now capable of these things, he still shows a vulnerability which humanises him, as worrying as it is to say! He's fairly upset about the situation and wishes he could turn back time."

Is Cameron confident that he'll get away with this murder?"No, he's not - he's living from moment to moment. He's just praying that it all works out."

Cameron and Chas also resolve to stick together as a couple in upcoming episodes. What do you think the future holds for their relationship given that Cameron is hiding so many dark secrets?"Well, it's the relationship that means more than anything to Cameron at the moment, because this is essentially what it's all been about. This is how it started and it's the only thing that Cameron has got left. It's also a distraction from what he's been up to.

"Cameron has been pretty good at deceiving himself that the bad stuff hasn't happened so far. It's like when he was with Debbie, he was convincing himself that he wasn't having an affair on the side. And when he was with Chas, he convinced himself that Debbie didn't exist. He's very good at burying his head in the sand."

Do you think Cameron will kill for a third time?"I don't know. Keep tuning in!"